Vehicle Crashes in Vermont, 2022
A summary of crashes occurring in the State of Vermont, 2022.
How often do crashes occur?
In 2022, Vermont's roads saw over 8,000 reported vehicle crashes.
That might sound like a lot but 2022's reported crash count was less than the five-year average for 2017-2021 (over 11,000 crashes per year). There were over 5,500 property damage only crashes and over 1,700 injury crashes. There were 73 fatal crashes resulting in 76 fatalities in 2022.
How many people die each year on Vermont's roads?
In 2022, 76 people died in crashes on our roads.
While the total number of reported crashes might be decreasing, Vermont's roadway fatalities are increasing. In 2022, we saw almost 20% more fatalities than the five-year average of 64.4 fatalities per year (2017-2021).
After seeing the five-year average of crashes decline between 2014 to 2018, the five-year average in fatalities has been increasing since 2019. The five-year average has increased from an average of 60.8 fatalities per year in 2019 to an average of 64.4 fatalities per year in 2022.
Fatal crashes aren't the only crashes that occur.
There are three types of vehicle crashes - property damage only, injury crashes, and fatal crashes.
Property Damage Only crashes are those crashes where no injuries were reported. Not all property damage only crashes are reportable to the State of Vermont - crashes where total damages were below $3000 are not required to be reported to the state.
Injury crashes are those crashes where at least one injury was reported. We often split injury crashes into minor injuries and serious injuries - to reflect different crash severities.
Fatal crashes are those crashes where at least one death was reported.
Sometimes, we also talk about major crashes - we consider any fatal crash and any injury crash resulting in serious injuries a major crash.
Who is crashing?
Most people who crash in Vermont live in Vermont - with 82% of all crashes involving an operator licensed in the state of Vermont. But people from other states are involved in crashes here as well - with 8% of all crashes involving a driver with a New England driver's license and 10% involving a driver from a state outside of New England.
These charts show percent of total crashes, property damage only crashes, fatal crashes, and injury crashes by the state of the operator's driver's license. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
In 2022, 61% of all crashes had a male driver, and 32% of those drivers were under the age of 25.
For the 39% of crashes involving a female driver, 41% of those drivers were under the age of 25.
These charts show percentage of all crashes by sex and/or age of driver, normalized to the percent of registered Vermont drivers of each sex. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Men were more likely to be killed or injured in a car crash than women in 2022.
Of the 76 roadway fatalities Vermont saw in 2022, 69% were male, and of the 2,344 injuries on our roads, 54% were male individuals and 45% were female individuals.
These charts show the percentage of fatal and injury crashes by sex and/or age of driver, normalized to the percent of registered Vermont drivers of each sex. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Although younger drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash, it is older drivers who are most likely to be killed or injured if they are involved in a crash.
Both older drivers and younger drivers are populations of concern in vehicle crashes and the State Highway Safety Office is working to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in these age groups. Click the links to see current crash data for older drivers and younger drivers .
We consider older drivers to be drivers 65 years of age and over, while younger drivers are drivers under 25 years of age.
These charts show percent of fatalities or injuries by age group, normalized to the percent of registered drivers in each age group. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
One bicyclist and 6 pedestrians died on Vermont's roads in 2022, representing 9% of our total crash fatalities.
Vermont has averaged 7 pedestrian fatalities and 1 bicyclist fatality each year for the last five years (2017-2021). We are currently on track to meet our target of reducing pedestrian and bicyclist major crashes by 10% for pedestrians and 5% for bicyclists by 2026. Click the links to see current crash data for pedestrians and bicyclists .
Pedestrians and bicyclists are considered "vulnerable road users". As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, all states are required to undertake Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessments in an effort to make roads safer for all users.
These charts show percent of fatalities or injuries by person type. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Passenger cars are the most likely type of vehicle to be involved in a fatal crash. Since passenger cars made up 54% of all registered vehicles in Vermont in 2022, this is unsurprising - most cars on the road are passenger cars. However, motorcycles represent just 7% of all vehicles on the road... but make up 21% of fatalities.
The State Highway Safety Office is working to reduce motorcyclist fatalities by 10% by 2026. Look at current data for motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries here .
These charts show the vehicle type for the vehicle in which the occupant(s) died. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
As with fatal crashes, passenger cars are the most likely type of vehicle to be involved in injury crashes. Since passenger cars made up 54% of all registered vehicles in Vermont in 2022, this is also unsurprising. Passenger cars are not the most dangerous vehicle type however, with 14% of crashes involving a passenger car resulting in a serious injury.
ATVs/snowmobiles/off-road vehicles and motorcycles were the most likely vehicle types to result in a serious injury, if involved in a crash.
These charts show the vehicle type for the vehicle in which the occupant(s) sustained serious or minor injuries. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Not wearing a seat belt could cost you. People who don't wear seat belts are more likely to be killed in a crash than those who do wear a seat belt.
Non-seat belt users make up only 9.6% of front-seat occupants in vehicles, but account for 49% of all crash fatalities. See the current data on fatalities and serious injuries for unrestrained occupants here .
The 2022 Safety Belt Use Study is available here .
These charts show the occupant protection use of front seat vehicle occupants (passenger or driver, all motorcyclists) that were killed or sustained an injury in a crash. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Why are they crashing?
A lane departure crash is any crash where a vehicle leaves the traveled lane. A lane departure crash may be caused by other circumstances.
Lane departure crashes account for 39% of all crashes and 73% of all fatal crashes. Because lane departure crashes account for a majority of fatal and serious injury crashes, we track these crashes as a critical emphasis area. Click here to see the current numbers for lane departure crashes in Vermont.
We know lane departure crashes are serious, but why does a vehicle leave the roadway?
Most fatal lane departure crashes are the result of impaired drivers (69%), followed by speeding and aggressive drivers (29%).
These charts show lane departure crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries, by contributing circumstance, as provided by law enforcement. A single crash may have multiple contributing circumstances.
Cross centerline crashes are any lane departure crash where a vehicle crosses the road centerline, including head-on collisions.
Cross centerline crashes account for 42% of fatal lane departure crashes and 30% of all fatal crashes. What could cause a vehicle to cross the road centerline?
Impaired driving and speeding and aggressive driving account for 50% and 21%, respectively, of fatal cross centerline crashes.
These charts show cross centerline crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries, by contributing circumstance, as provided by law enforcement. A single crash may have multiple contributing circumstances.
Impaired driving crashes occur when a driver is under the influence of drugs, alcohol, and/or medication. Impairment includes a blood alcohol content above 0.08% and/or drugs other than caffeine and nicotine.
The majority of impaired drivers involved in a fatal crash are male (80%).
The State Highway Safety Office is working to reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from impaired driving crashes by 15% by 2026. See the current progress here .
These charts show sex and age of impaired drivers involved in a fatal crash, as provided by law enforcement, normalized to the percent of registered Vermont drivers of each sex. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Speeding and aggressive driving includes operating a vehicle at speeds above the speed limit, driving too fast for conditions, or operating a vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent, or aggressive manner.
Male drivers account for 82% of fatal crashes where speeding and/or aggressive driving was a contributing circumstance.
See our progress in reducing fatalities and serious injuries from speeding and aggressive driving crashes here.
These charts show sex and age of speeding and aggressive drivers involved in a fatal crash, as provided by law enforcement, normalized to the percent of registered Vermont drivers of each sex. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Distracted driving crashes occur when a driver is performing another activity while driving, like texting, applying makeup, or reaching for items in the back.
Female drivers account for half of all distracted drivers involved in a fatal crash. For all crash types (fatal, injury, and property damage) involving a distracted driver, 40% are female drivers and 59% are male drivers.
We track fatal and serious injury crashes resulting from distracted driving - see the current stats here .
These charts show sex and age of distracted drivers involved in a fatal crash, as provided by law enforcement, normalized to the percent of registered Vermont drivers of each sex. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Crashes occur in all weather conditions, however the majority of fatal and injury crashes occur in clear or cloudy conditions.
These charts show weather conditions during a fatal crash or injury crash, as provided by law enforcement. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Where are they crashing?
As the largest population center in the state, the fact that most crashes occur in Chittenden County isn't surprising. The more vehicles on the road, the higher the chance of a crash occurring. We use crash rates to account for differences in traffic volume.
Crash rate is calculated as the number of crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This crash rate allows us to compare crashes between areas with very different traffic volumes.
Chittenden County also has the highest crash rate at 2.08 crashes per 100 million VMT, followed by Bennington County at 1.81 crashes per 100 million VMT.
Orange County has the lowest crash rate, at 0.41 crashes per 100 million VMT.
This map shows the crash rate (number of crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled) by county. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
While Chittenden County has the highest overall crash rate, Franklin and Orleans Counties have the highest fatal crash rates, at 0.025 and 0.024 fatal crashes per 100 million VMT.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides crash fatality statistics for the entirety of the United States. See their press release for 2022 here .
This map shows the fatal crash rate (number of fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled) by county. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
Fatal crashes occur all across the state. Use the map to the right to explore fatal crashes that occurred in Vermont in 2022. Zoom in to see on what roads specific crashes occurred and click the icons to learn more about the fatality.
This map shows all vehicle crash fatalities and indicates whether the fatality was a pedestrian, bicyclist, or was in a vehicle (includes motorcyclists). Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
When are they crashing?
Crashes occur throughout the year, with the most crashes (30%) occurring in the winter months (December, January, February).
However, the summer months (June, July, August) have the most fatal crashes (36%).
These charts show fatal crashes and all crashes by season of the year. Data are for January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022.
We see more crashes happening in the winter months, but fewer fatal crashes.
These charts show fatal crashes and all crashes that occurred in 2022 by month.
Crashes typically occur during the day, with most fatal crashes happening in the afternoon and into the evening.
This isn't surprising - the more vehicles on the road, the greater the chance of a crash occurring.
These charts show fatal crashes and all crashes that occurred in 2022 by hour of day.
Other Resources
Check out these great resources below to learn more about motor vehicle crashes in Vermont and across the United States.
- Data and Analysis Section, Operations & Safety Bureau, VTrans
- The Data and Analysis Section uses information collected from a wide array of sources both in and out of Vermont, partners with other government agencies and research institutions, and conducts in-house studies to make our state's roads safer for everyone.
- New England 511 - Commuter Information
- Real-time traffic information for travelers so they are more aware of road conditions and can make informed decisions regarding alternative routes.
- Public Crash Data Query Tool
- Explore crash data across the state of Vermont in this map-based tool.
- State Highway Safety Office
- The Vermont State Highway Safety Office awards federal highway safety grant funds to local, state and non-profit agencies for projects to improve highway safety and reduce deaths and serious injuries due to crashes.
- Drive Well Vermont
- A statewide program aiming to improve road safety through education.
- Strategic Highway Safety Plan
- The State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), a requirement of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) under 23 U.S.C. § 148, is the framework for reducing major crashes on the State’s public highways.
- State Highway Safety Alliance
- A non-profit organization whose mission is to minimize the occurrence and severity of highway crashes, and related injuries and fatalities.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Federal administration within the United States Department of Transportation which aims to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes through enforcing vehicle performance standards and partnerships with state and local governments.